If head coach Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals were asked during training camp to predict what their record would be after the first five games, it is safe to say that 1-4 would have been laughable. Unfortunately, that is where this team finds themselves after a brutal Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Over the past several years, this team has become known for their slow starts but unlike previous seasons, quarterback Joe Burrow and the offense have started the season off firing on all cylinders but what has been a dramatic surprise has been the dysfunction on the defensive side of the ball.
Cincinnati Bengals Nickelback Addresses Teammates Regarding Defensive Woes
While no one would argue that this is a defensive team since the arrival of offensive juggernauts like Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase , this unit has torpedoed to a brutal 31st-place scoring defense so far this season in an opening five games that didn’t feature explosive offenses. Most analysts around the league expected for Cincinnati to start off strong after facing mediocre offenses like those of the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, and Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, the ineptitude on the defensive side of the ball has stirred a panic and it is up to the leaders on this team to quell it quickly.
On Wednesday after a game against Baltimore where the defense almost ceased to exist later in the game, cornerback Mike Hilton decided enough was enough and established the facts for his teammates to hear them.
“I know we’ve been playing like s— for real, honestly,” Hilton said as told by ESPN’s Ben Baby. “And we know we have to turn around for us to have a chance to make this run, but that’s the thing about this game. You all have another opportunity to go out there and prove yourself.”
According to Ben Baby of ESPN, Hilton didn’t stop with just harsh words for his teammates and held the first defensive-only meeting of the season to attempt to get his teammates back on track. Hilton would go on to speak for about five to ten meetings according to sources within the locker room and simply told his teammates that this unit needs to be better in order for this team to accomplish its preseason goals.
Even though this team typically gives up plenty of yards, the Bengals defensive unit led by defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has typically performed well in situational defense and turnovers. So far this season, this defense has only been able to force five turnovers in one of the most obvious signs that this unit has slipped. Hilton had strong opinions on the overall dismay of the defensive unit.
“We have to hold up our end of the bargain,” Hilton stated. “[Our] offense is rolling, but we have to do our part. A play here, a play there. Our record be 4-1, but we’re 1-4 and we got to climb out [of] this hole.”
Hilton may have chosen the perfect day to rally this defense since this team will face a New York Giants offense in Week 6 that has struggled to move the ball so far this season. Although they sport a tremendous defensive line, the Giants offense ranks 29th in the NFL in scoring offense and a weak opposition could be the perfect thing to get this defense back on track for the season.
